Vanessa Feltz ends two decades at BBC Radio London

After more than 20 years on the airwaves, Vanessa Feltz has presented her final show on BBC Radio London.

Last month she tearfully announced she was leaving the station and her "lovely listener" so that she could "catch up on a much needed decade's deficit of beauty sleep".

She emotionally concluded her final show, saying: "It's been a real privilege working here, it really has been the job of my life.

"I have taken it with immense seriousness and I will miss everybody.

"Thank you so much for having me."

The broadcaster first made an appearance on what was then Greater London Radio (GLR) as a guest on Jewish London in 1989, and she fully joined the station - rebranded as BBC London Live 94.9 - in 2001 to host a daily mid-afternoon phone-in show.

She then spent a decade presenting the mid-morning phone-in show before moving to breakfast in January 2016.

Over that time Feltz has covered numerous major stories across the capital, from the London 2012 Olympics and royal jubilees, to the Grenfell Tower fire and the 7 July London bombings.

She has also held scores of London's politicians to account, including Boris Johnson who would regularly come into the studio to appear on her programmes when he was the city's mayor.

Paying tribute, the prime minister said Feltz had held a "crucial position in our national life" through her work on BBC Radio London.

Johnson added he had always "enjoyed working with you, your amazing journalism, sitting with you discussing things and the sometimes volcanic passion and excitement that you bring to the subject under discussion".

Dawn Butler, Labour MP for Brent South, said there were "not many people that I would get up that early in the morning to know that we're going to have a good argument or a good debate".

"You've covered so many issues that I care so passionately about and you've done it with such grace and intelligence, and you've been so well informed that you're really going to be missed on the airwaves."

Liberal Democrat leader and MP for Kingston and Surbiton Ed Davey said he "always found my interviews with you to be challenging and important".

"I wish you the very best for the future."

Over the past two decades, Feltz has won a host of awards including a Sony Gold in 2009 and two gold Gillard awards. She also picked up Silver for the Best Speech Breakfast Show category at the Arias in both 2017 and 2022.

Sara David, BBC Radio London's executive editor, said she had been "a key part of Radio London for so many years" and would be "hugely missed".

"Passionate, erudite and sharp as a tack… her editorial ambition is second to none. We have been incredibly lucky to work alongside her."

Chris Burns, controller local audio commissioning, said the broadcaster had "effortlessly entertained her 'lovely listener' and sternly held the city's and country's decision-makers to account.

"The brightest spark you could ever meet - no matter how early it is and what's going on in the news - to say Vanessa's voice will be missed is an understatement."

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